How to Save a Life
by yume-chan29
Summary: DISCONTINUED A cynical young doctor with a tragic past. An overly optimistic patient with 50 days to live. A story about damnation, forgiveness, and two people seeking redemption in being. Kurama x Botan DISCONTINUED
1. Step One: Cynic

**How to Save a Life  
By: yume-chan29**

**A/N:** Heehee! Wow, I feel like I haven't written a thing in ages! Bah, anyway. Here's another one of my contributions to the Kurama x Botan fandom. I felt I needed to expand my writing style to somewhere outside my comfort area (fluff) and came up with this! It's a lot more serious than my other fanfictions, and I think a lot more mature(?) so don't kill me for 'lack of light-heartedness' or something stupid like that.

Another new aspect of this KB fanfiction is that it will **NOT** be a two-shotter! (-gasp-) Though, in all honesty, I do have a horrible habit of not updating my chapter fanfictions, this song was just BRILLIANT and I felt a little inspired. Maybe that extra drive will keep me going.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned either Yu Yu Hakusho or The Fray, I'd be in Europe right about now living in my fantabulously ginormous mansion with hot man servants waiting on my every whim. Which I'm not. (-pout-)

xxxxxx

_Step one you say we need to talk, He walks you say sit down it's just a talk  
He smiles politely back at you, You stare politely right on through  
Some sort of window to your right, As he goes left and you stay right  
Between the lines of fear and blame, And you begin to wonder why you came_

xxxxxx

"_And finally, graduating at the top of his class, this year's valedictorian at Yami Medical University, Shuuichi Minamino!"_

_A young man with unruly crimson tresses and bottle green eyes rose from his seat among (predominantly feminine) cheers and walked onstage to accept his certificate and shake hands with his superiors._

_"In an amazing feat of hard work and unrelenting determination, Mr. Minamino has earned his masters in Cardiology in a record-breaking year and a half! Please, another round of applause!"_

_The shouts strengthened in fervor and merriment._

_The speaker turned toward the graduate, "Now, Shuuichi-san, would you like to say a few words?"_

_The red head gave pause as if about to refute, but then he nodded. _

"_Fellow students," he spoke in a stoic voice, "There will be times…when the world will get you down, when people will prove to be evil and ugly, when, even after you give up your blood, your sweat, your tears to a cause, someone will die and you will be helpless and unable to do anything."_

_The audience looked confused a moment._

_And his green eyes darkened a shade, "The only thing left is to harden yourselves. Harden yourselves to evil, to the deepness of emotion, and thrive."_

_He flashed a hollow smile. "Thank you."_

_The room was dead quiet as the young man walked off the stage and left the room._

xxxxxx

-Sigh-

"What are you going all dreamy-eyed for, newbie?" The senior nurse questioned the new East Hall receptionist. The young girl, Ms. Himitaro Hana, snapped up from her reverie with a reddening blush. She giggled and nodded her head in an indistinct direction.

Following her line of gaze, Senior Nurse Daiya smirked. "Ah… Dr. Minamino-san. The ladies' favorite."

Hana's eyes widened a fraction, "Dr.? He's a doctor? But he's so _young_!"

Daiya grinned, "I know, right? …Ah, if only I were 13 years younger!" She paused, "…And single." She added as an afterthought.

The secretary let out a tiny, schoolgirl squeal. "That's me! That's me! I'm sure if I turn up the charm, he'd ask me out in a second!"

The nurse looked skeptic, "Ah, sorry hun. The boy's meant for looking, not for trying. He's very devoted to his work and he doesn't often go out on dates…In fact, I don't think I've ever even seen him—"

"Nonsense!" Hana interrupted, "He shall be my new target! I've never dated a doctor before! Especially one so young and good-looking and sexy…"

"Sshh! He's coming this way!"

The red haired young man gave each woman a small smile, that didn't reach his eyes. "Good morning, ladies."

Hana suddenly forgot her plan, as she was awestruck by his beauty. "G-good morning—Dr. Minamino-san!"

He signed in, flashing another superficial smile at the girls. Before he could say his goodbyes, Hana suddenly blurted, "Ah! Dr. Minamino-san, my name is Himitaro Hana. I'm the new receptionist here at Meiou General!" She batted her eyelashes at him, thankful for remembering to apply mascara that morning.

"Oh." He said, "Welcome, Himitaro-san. I'm Shuuichi Minamino and I'm a cardiologist here at MG." The red-haired man grabbed the clipboard on the counter, "Now if I may…"

She giggled in what she hoped was a flirtatious tone, "Yes, I'm aware, Minamino-san! Anyway, I was just wondering…that maybe, if you meet up with me after your shift, I'd let you have the honor of taking _me_ out to lunch."

Shuuichi's smile faltered, but only for a second. It returned, but his emerald eyes were a little duller than before. "I'm sorry. But I really don't know you that well and have many other priorities that need my immediate attention. My apologies."

With that he turned on his heel, muttered a polite goodbye, and promptly walked away.

The two women were left dumbfounded and more than a little bit cold.

"How…_rude_."

xxxxxx

Turning a corner, Shuuichi sighed heavily. He'd heard that.

Rude? _Him_?

He scoffed. He'd thought he was being overly polite. After all, he'd restrained himself from commenting on how unbelievably conceited she was.

Another soft exhale. Never mind. All in a day's work. Along with hours on end of mind-numbing research, dealing with hyperventilating patients, and the occasional open-heart surgery, he was no stranger to the admiring gazes and desirous blushes of the female population.

The key to concentration was disregarding such distractions. He had a job to do. The only females to ever fully retain his attentions were his patients.

Shaking his head, he looked over the day's schedule upon the clipboard in his hands.

After a quick stop at the hospital's café, he was to…1) Give preparatory briefing to heart transplant candidate.

_Joy_.

"Morning Minamino-san." Muttered a black-haired individual that had appeared to his right.

Shuuichi turned and nodded his head in greeting, "Kaitou-san."

Kaitou was a fellow cardiologist at Meiou General Hospital, but Shuuichi had known him since High School. And the glasses-wearing man had always been on Shuuichi's tail. Kaitou had come in second in his class after Shuuichi back in their teen days. Again, he was _salutatorian_ at Yami Medical. And now, Shuuichi believed, he felt he was "in the shadow" of _his_ accomplishments and _his_ discoveries.

There was edge to his voice, but the red head could tell he was trying to conceal it, "What's on the schedule today, Minamino-san?"

Now, Minamino held no grudge. Only pity. Pity because the pathetic man was envious of an even _more_ pathetic man.

"Same old." He answered briefly, before picking up his steaming cup of coffee and making an exit.

He didn't miss the slight glare Kaitou threw in his direction as he walked down the hall.

xxxxxxx

Damn it.

"Please, Kuwabara-san. Calm yourself." Shuuichi told the panicking girl as he placed a hand upon her shoulder to steady her.

"Calm myself? _Calm_ myself!! I need a freakin' heart transplant! As in, my _heart_ is going to be _replaced_ with someone else's!!"

Dr. Minamino returned that with a deadpanned look. I _think_ I know that.

"Damn it!" She took out a lighter and cigarette and began to smoke.

Shuuichi rolled his eyes. _Figures_.

"Well, if you're going to complain about needing a heart transplant, why continue the habit that caused the need?"

Shizuru looked so effectively tranquil that Shuuichi had to do a double take. "Well, you said calm down. And besides, its not as if smoking just one more will kill me on the spot."

"…Ok then." The red-haired young man alleged, "We'll set a date sometime in March?"

"Make it February." She mumbled grimly, taking another drag, "Let's get this over with as fast as we can."

Shuuichi nodded in agreement, "Fine. I'll call in tomorrow with details."

As the tall girl left, she looked back and flashed him a small, cheeky grin as if it'd just clicked in her head how attractive he was.

_Ugh_.

The day was proving to be just as mundane as yesterday._  
_

xxxxxxx

_  
_He took a sip of his third cup of coffee, looked out onto the horizon, and decided that yes. This was unquestionably his favorite place in the whole hospital.

The placement of the building is what made such an area possible as it lay near the curve of a hill that overlooked a huge part of the city. To the very side of the building was a small patch of land, in which Shuuichi had grown an undersized but beautiful garden.

Here, Shuuichi was surrounded by nature (a place he felt most comfortable), and finally secluded from the world's noisiest authorities. It freed him from the responsibilities. The expectations. The people that were god damn _suffocating_ him.

It was here that he found solace.

So at peace was the young doctor that his (usually attuned) senses hadn't picked up the rustling above. Or the quiet "Shoot!" of a feminine voice. Or the shirt that had been thrown down.

Until of course, it hit him. Or, rather, with a surprised little cry, fell on top of him.

"Oof!" The being that had solidly landed halfway on his chest and halfway in his lap groaned. As Shuuichi cautiously opened his eyes, the immediate first thought was that, 'Oh jeez. A flying blue creature has suddenly died and fallen upon me.'

But when said creature looked up, the groan was then accompanied by a face and was no longer a creature but a human. With peculiar blue hair and the brightest pair of candy eyes.

It obviously just registered in the girl's head that she could've potentially killed him, as she flew off of him, a deep red blush turning her face into a tomato and fervent apologies running off her mouth for 'accidentally falling on him.'

She was a patient he suddenly realized. She was still wearing the paper gown for a top.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I just…fell on you! I'm so sorry!" She mumbled sincerely, a request for forgiveness in her eyes. She suddenly turned her gaze, embarrassed. "Are…Are you hurt?"

Shuuichi shook his head, still a little dumbfounded. Why the hell would a patient jump out from a second story window? Surely, that wasn't enough distance to suicide…

And the girl fidgeting in front of him didn't look the type anyway, he confirmed as he gave her a quick once-over. She couldn't have been older than him because the innocence radiated off of her in waves. She was a far cry from the angsty teen of the day and if anything, she looked a little overly chipper and the slightest bit…jumpy…

As their gazes met, the girl turned sheepish, "Ah, well, at least I can _safely_ say that that will never happen again. Ever."

She laughed a little at her own joke and the doctor somehow equated the sound with the tinkling of bells. She gazed from side to side as if scanning the area. "So, um…I'll just be on my way…"

And finally, it dawned, "You're escaping."

Shuuichi suddenly gave a little amused half smile like he hadn't for some time.

She stopped and even though he couldn't see her face, he knew her eyes were widening, "…You…won't tell a doctor or –worse- _security_ that you've seen me, right?"

Shuuichi then answered succinctly, "I am a doctor."

"Shoot." She whispered, turning around slowly. "…Does this mean I've been found out?"

He opened his mouth to reply. "Wait!" She suddenly interrupted, putting up a hand and shaking her head of sky blue locks furiously, "Don't answer that!"

The blunette walked up to him, clasped her hands, and gave a deep bow, "Please! Please let me go! I just want out of the hospital for a couple of hours to drive around and stuff! I'll promise I'll be back really soon!"

Shuuichi's brows rose, finding her honesty the slightest bit…endearing.

"I-I'll do anything you ask me too! I'll owe you one! I'll—"

He put up a hand, pausing her words. His emerald eyes broke free of her carnation ones as they turned towards the ground. He suddenly sounded breathless.

"Take me with you."

She looked up in surprise.

_What_?

xxxxxxx

_TBC_

xxxxxxx

**A/N:** And, uh. That's it for now! More to come soon! (Hopefully!) Please REVIEW if you'd like me to continue! 


	2. Step Two: Escapist

**How to Save a Life  
By: yume-chan29**

**A/N:** Chapter 2! Yay. I wanted to concentrate more on Botan's life here so I can get the mundane out of the way quickly. Don't worry, there will probably be some plot development next chapter. So read on. :D

**Disclaimer:** Again, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, The Fray, Volkswagen, Coldstone Creamery, or any other companies/franchises/money-making endeavors that can get me sued.

xxxxxx

"What?" she voiced, pink eyes wide with surprise.

He looked pensive for a moment, his face, tired, overworked, and…_pleading_?

The blue-haired girl blinked, and the doctor's visage had reverted back to its usual stoicism.

Shuuichi gave her a small smile, shaking his head of red locks, and mumbling a quick, "Never mind."

Her eyebrows screwed in confusion, as he turned his back on her, seating himself on a bench nearby. Without another word, he began his ritualistic staring off into space.

The young girl gawked a while, disbelieving of first his odd request, then his sudden lack of courteousness. She shrugged, picking up her forgotten shirt, about to make her leave, when a thought struck her.

She looked worriedly over to the distant physician, before stalking up to him.

She fiddled with the hem of her paper dress, as he turned cool emerald eyes upon her. His emotionless stare was unbelievably disconcerting.

Dr. Minamino raised a brow, what was this girl still doing here?

"Um…er…" she bent her head a little to avoid direct eye contact and to read the nametag pinned to his white lab coat. "Dr. Minamino…-san."

Again, she smiled sheepishly. "Um…so you promise not to tell on me, right? I'm just going to run a few errands and…stuff." She rubbed the back of her skull, looking nervously up at the noon sky. "I'll be right back—"

The doctor scoffed, his tone taking on annoyance. "You actually think I care enough to go 'tell on you'? You're cutting into my valuable break time, so please." He did a choppy hand motion that made it obvious that her presence was unwanted here.

She stared at him again.

Blink.

No, the uncaring countenance was still fixed upon him. The doctor really had passed the point of civility.

Now, he was being downright mean.

"Look," she started, her eyes narrowing, "I didn't mean to bother you, Minamino-san. It's just that if you do decide to tell I'd be in big trouble—"

"Trouble?" He smirked bitterly, "You'd be in _trouble_, miss, if I decided to sue you for nearly breaking my spine." Her carnation eyes flared, and he continued, unfazed, "But then again, it's really none of my business."

"_Sue me_?" She hissed, waving her hands in the air, "It was an accident! It wasn't as if I was intentionally trying to fall on top of you—"

Again he cut her off, glancing quickly at his watch. "I don't have time for this." He muttered under his breath, more than a little irritated with his relax time having been thoroughly shortened by some bumbling girl who didn't know when to shut her mouth.

"Go as you wish. I have work to do."

He left with a whoosh of his white coat and not another word.

And she stared, angry pink irises glaring figurative holes in his back.

xxxxxx

By the time she got into her yellow Volkswagen beetle, she had successfully wriggled into her shirt without her bra showing.

And as she started up her car, she still couldn't wipe the frown engraved on her face.

Ugh, that doctor had been such a jerk!!

She 'tch-ed' as she buckled her seatbelt. "Me? Break _his_ spine? I should sue _him_ for being such horrible fall-breaker!"

Botan drove out of the parking lot, her grip on the wheel tight with the image of Dr. Minamino's emotionless smirk. "He didn't even move out of the way when I audibly cursed!"

She exhaled, blowing a strand of sky blue bang out of her face. She turned on the radio, because she knew if she kept thinking about it, she'd just get angrier.

The girl relaxed as soft music filled the interior of her vehicle.

The hospital was big enough, she reminded herself.

So she drove on, comforted by the thought that they'd probably never meet again.

xxxxxx

_Ring._

_Ring._

"I'll get it!"

Ri— 

"Hello, Urameshi household, Keiko speaking."

"…Hi, Keiko-chan."

The brunette's eyes widened, because the voice had immediately clicked.

"Botan-chan?!" she whispered, shocked. "Why are you calling here?"

"Hey," she giggled across the line, "you haven't seen your best friend in weeks and that's all you have to say to me?"

Her brows furrowed in worry as she cradled the phone closer to her ear, "Are you at the hospital right now? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

The blue-haired girl sighed into her cell, "I've been resting, Kei-chan. For days. I needed fresh air."

Keiko's tone became chiding, "Don't tell me you snuck out of the hospital and went to the city park or something."

"No…" She mumbled in reply.

Keiko sighed with relief, "Good. I know how you are Bot-chan. Your need for freedom and all that." She weaved a hand through her brown locks, "It's just that in your condition, I got really worried that you'd do something drastic…"

The sudden beeping of a car horn interrupted her. Brown eyes shot to the window to find a familiar yellow buggy parked in her driveway. Her smiling best friend waved to her through the windshield.

And then, as if she hadn't done anything wrong, she said into her phone, "I snuck out of the hospital and came to visit you!"

As they hung up, Keiko let out a tired little sigh and then shouted up the stairs, "Yusuke! Botan's here!"

xxxxxx

"Botan!" Yusuke shouted happily, giving the girl a hug as if he hadn't seen her in years. "You're looking good!"

Keiko hit him over the head with a slipper.

"What?" Yusuke hissed rubbing the spot she'd smacked him in, "I meant healthy! _Healthy_."

Botan giggled, turning from the black haired Urameshi to the girl at his right, "Keiko-chan!"

She gave the brunette a generous hug, "I missed you guys so much!"

"Botan-chan…" Keiko muttered weakly. As happy as she was for the visit, she felt more worry than anything else, "…I can't believe you drove all the way out here!"

The blue-nette frowned slightly, feigning hurt, "You really need to work on your welcomes, Keiko-chan."

"Botan-chan…" she sighed, gesturing all of them to the living room so they could sit. "You know I'm just worried about you. I mean you just recently had surgery, didn't you?"

She smiled at her, "That was 3 weeks ago, Keiko-chan! I swear, I'm fine now. I was just feeling a little cooped up in that room…"

Just to make sure, Keiko put a hand to her forehead to check her temperature. It was relatively normal but… "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Do you want water or anything?"

"Yes, yes," she answered, waving her off, "But I'd like some tea if you have some…"

Keiko nodded, smiling a little at her friend before getting up to walk to the kitchen. "Is it okay for you to drink any kind of tea? Or would you like me to run to the store to—"

Yusuke groaned loudly at her, "Geez, Keiko, stop being such a worry wart. Botan's fine. I mean, she managed to sneak pass _hospital security_. And she came all the way from the city to visit us. So, would you just make the damn tea?"

Keiko glared at him, "I was just making sure, Yusuke! I'm worried about her, _thankyouverymuch_." With that, she stormed indignant into the kitchen.

And Botan laughed once more with her friends' antics. "You know, Yusuke," the blue-haired girl whispered over to him, "I heard that at this stage of marriage, newlyweds are supposed to be mushy and romantic."

She looked happily over to a photo at her right; one that she'd personally taken on their wedding day…

Flash. 

'_There's Keiko-chan looking so pretty in her dress. And there's Yusuke…in his tux. Heh.'_

_Laugh. 'Shoot.' Not again, not again, not _again

'_Cake!' Ugh, I feel sick. Not _here

_Breathe. Just breathe. Ow, my che—Not _now

'_No, that's ok I'm…fi—' _

_THUD._

_Botan. Botan. _Botan"_BOTAN!!"_

The black-haired young man's scoff interrupted her reverie, "Really. Well, me and Keiko are just special then." He looked away, lightly coloring, "But it's not as if we're _never_ couple-y…or whatever."

"Oh?" Botan teased, her trademark cat-like grin fixed on her features, "So you two _have_ been romantic then?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes but Botan knew him too well. He was embarrassed.

Keiko then walked in, holding a tray of two cups of tea and a soda for Yusuke. She looked over at her husband, an eyebrow raising, "What's got you so flustered?"

"Nothing. I'm not flustered." He muttered back, taking his soda can.

Botan chuckled, taking the china cup that held her tea. "Hm…Keiko-chan. I noticed you were wearing some silky nightgown thing when I waved at you through my windshield…" She took a calm sip, then asked innocently, "…I hope I wasn't…_interrupting_ anything?"

The couple sputtered their drinks, blushing hot red.

"Botan!" Yusuke choked, trying to hide the pinking of his cheeks.

The blue-haired girl laughed once more, "Only kidding." Another sip, "I mean, you two wouldn't be _getting it on_ in the middle of the afternoon, right?"

Keiko's turn to protest, "Botan-chan!"

And she giggled again, "Just _joking_, guys!" She dodged the throw pillow Keiko had thrown at her, "So how are things? How're the Kuwabaras?"

"We've been doing pretty good for ourselves. Me at the police station and Keiko teaching at the local middle school." Yusuke snorted, "It's that big idiot who's been doing crazy. Ex-thug he is, he's been doing volunteer work at the animal shelter. You know how he is with kittens."

"How cute." She smiled at the thought of her rather intimidating friend petting a number of baby cats.

"And Shizuru-san," Keiko said, tapping her chin in thought, "Actually, I think she went to the doctor today for her smoking problem…your hospital, I think."

Botan's eyed widened a bit, "Meiou Gen.? Really? …I'll have to go call her up then. So whenever I'm feeling bored, we can be bored together."

They all laughed, memories of the good old days filling them with nostalgia. "Would you like us to call them or something? So they can see you too?"

Botan half-smiled, "Nah. I've got to go now anyway. It's only a matter of time before my doc. goes crazy to find me missing. And I still have to go make a quick trip to Koenma's apartment."

They nodded in understanding, finishing up their drinks.

The Urameshi couple showed her to the door, and Keiko grew worried again, "You sure you don't want Yusuke to drive you there or something?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Keiko-chan." Botan sighed, giving each of her friends a hug. They all said their goodbyes and she got into her car. Before she drove off, Botan rolled down her window, shooting the couple a sly glance, "You two can start being mushy again cause' I'm expecting a godchild soon!"

She laughed as she drove away, leaving the blushing couple behind.

Despite the wind and the chill of January weather, they waved away the yellow buggy till it turned a corner along the suburban street side and disappeared. Their expressions turned solemn once she was out of sight. Keiko squeezed her husband's hand, sending him a nonverbal message.

Yusuke looked grimly down at her, "Yeah. I'm worried, too."

xxxxxx

_Stupid girl._

Minamino faintly muttered under his breath as he stalked through the halls of Meiou General. The red head had been ticked ever since that blue-haired girl had effectively wasted a period of his recreational time.

Okay, sure. So maybe he threw her off a little with the sudden crack in his façade.

"_Take me with you."_ He had whispered to her, uncharacteristically.

It was just that, she'd been looking so…_pure_, somehow, right then. As if she could and would…help him if he asked…

Or something equally idiotic.

He'd returned to his senses shortly after, thank _Kami_, and after that, she continued to bother him with her silly notions.

Shuuichi sighed, forcing away contemplations of the 'Runaway Patient' and taking in the displeasing thought of having to go through another 4 hours of bothersome paperwork.

"_Damn it._" He cursed, walking through his office door. He tossed his coat upon a random chair and made himself comfortable at his seat. Just as he was about to begin weaving through the sea of contracts and agreements he had to sign, his door opened and another being came hurriedly into the room.

Green eyes looked up to find the frantic face of his colleague staring at him.

"Minamino-san." He mumbled, adjusting his glasses as they were slipping off the bridge of his nose. He was sweating quite profusely.

"Kaitou-san." Kurama nodded in greeting, raising a brow in curiosity.

"By any chance, have you seen a blue-haired girl walk by this afternoon?"

Inside, Shuuichi's inner self was answering with slight shock, that yes. Yes, he had seen a blue-haired girl walk by, or rather, fell down this afternoon. But his countenance feigned perfect ignorance to the matter.

"Why?"

"Well, her name is Daioh Botan and she's a patient of mine…" Kaitou fidgeted with his fingers, "She's gone missing."

_Oh, really. _Again, Inner-Kurama was smirking because he knew full well the circumstances at hand.

"She's one of my regulars and today, when I went in for her daily check up, she was gone." Again Kaitou's eyes revealed nervousness even from behind his spectacles.

After a small debate with himself on whether he should tell him or not, the part of him that was both empathetic and piteous towards the other doctor won out.

…It wasn't as if he was being _petty_ by going out of his way to snitch on her.

The situation had presented itself and it was his job as a fellow doctor to inform him.

"She jumped out from her window on the second floor and escaped through the West Garden at around noon. She left in a yellow Volkswagen beetle, I believe."

Kaitou was, as always, suspicious of him, but relented a thank you nonetheless.

As he left, Kurama allowed himself a tiny smirk. _Looks like you're in _trouble_ now, Botan-san._

xxxxxx

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Coming!"

Koenma wrestled into a suitable sweatshirt before walking to the front door. He wondered faintly who could possibly be knocking at his apartment door in the middle of Monday afternoon.

Looking through the eyehole, he instinctively recognized the head of blue hair and swung open the front door.

"Botan?!" It was his sister, his head rationalized on its own through the shock. "What the heck are you doing here?"

She rolled her candy eyes, smiling, "Did I miss something? Or is that the new, hip way of greeting someone you hadn't seen in a while?"

Without a second thought, the brown-haired young man quickly gathered her into his arms, mumbling a soft, "I missed you" into her sweet-smelling cerulean locks.

She gently patted him on the back, returning the gesture, "Missed you too, bro."

They parted because he didn't want to put too much strain on her probably fatigued body. "Seriously, Botan." He mumbled, gripping her shoulders, "What are you doing out of the hospital?" His amber eyes widened a fraction, "Have you been released? Was the surgery a success?"

She shook her head lightly, "No, we don't know yet if the surgery's worked or not. We're just going to have to wait a few to see if symptoms arise and stuff." She grinned up at him, "Anyway, I just wanted to see what my big bro was up to!"

He gave her a deadpanned look, "You snuck out of the hospital, didn't you?"

Her brows rose with surprise and she playfully punched him, "I swear, Koenma. You and Keiko-chan are more brother and sister than you and I can ever be."

He smiled a small, almost serious smile, "…yeah."

"Soooo…" the chipper girl continued, making her way into his apartment, "Aren't you going to offer me a drink?"

Koenma's face turned semi-stoic. "Nope. Just before you came, I was actually on my way out to run a few errands." He grabbed her hand, forcing her back out of the apartment. "C'mon, I'm taking you back to the hospital."

Botan pouted, struggling in his grip, "No! I can't go back yet! I just got here!"

The brunette held his clutch on her, and his face turned serious, "Botan…you know dad spent a lot of money to get you into that place. It'll all go to waste if you die because you don't know how to take care of yourself."

"Wow." Botan muttered, sarcasm dripping from her tongue. "I'm so sorry. I wouldn't want my _death_ to become a burden on your conscience."

A corner of Koenma's mouth twitched upward, "Forgiven."

The girl sighed, allowing the older man to drag her down the hall. "I swear, Koenma. You act more like a big brother than most _blood_ brothers do."

"Yeah well," he replied, relenting, "I guess in this case, nurture prevails over nature, then."

Botan smiled slightly with the answer, because the look on his face spoke volumes of his sincerity; although she and Koenma were not related by blood, as she had been _adopted_ into the Daioh family, they cared for each other as any 'normal' family would.

"How about calling up Hina-chan and Aya-chan? I'd love to see them too." She asked, referring to her other adopted sisters, Hinageshi and Ayame. (Apparently, Enma, their father, had really loved little girls).

Koenma shook his head, "Hina's still in school at the moment and Ayame's working."

Botan frowned up at him, "Why aren't _you_ working right now?"

"I was feeling a little sick this morning," he replied, heading down the stairs, "So I took a day off to recuperate."

She grinned, teasingly elbowing his side, "Days off whenever you want. Must be some perk, being the only son of the great Enma Daioh, owner and president of Reikai Enterprises."

He scowled at her, waving to the cracking walls of the hallways, "About the _only_ one. I still don't have a big enough annual to pay for a better place."

"Poor, poor Koenma-chan." She giggled, patting his head. "Having a roof over your head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and the _best_ sister anyone could ever ask for, must be _so_ troubling."

He grunted at her, giving her a small knock to the head. "Whatever, _Bot-chan_. Let's get you to the hospital."

Botan's face grew a little sad, her smile dimming.

Koenma sighed as they walked out the front door, "I'll remember to visit…hopefully with Dad, Hinageshi and Ayame, too."

She was grinning a little more, "You better."

He smiled back as they got to his car, knowing just the way to cheer her up, "C'mon, we'll pass by Coldstone. We can get, I don't know, maybe a _Strawberry Banana Rendezvous_?"

He blinked once and she was suddenly in the car, seatbelt fastened and smiling giddily at him through the passenger window.

xxxxxx

"Oh damn." He muttered, pacing the walking space in his office. "Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. _DAMN_."

He slammed his hands upon his desk, his teeth grit hard, "My chance to impress the Admins and I _lose_ the patient!" His grip turned his knuckles white, "Now, I'll never beat Minamino, that sorry bast—"

"Dr. Kaitou-san!" his personal assistant, Ms. Shinou, rushed in, "Ms. Daioh-san has returned!"

His dark eyes grew from behind his glasses and he ran out, down the right wing for Cardio patients and into room 102.

And there she was, in her wrinkled paper dress, reading a book with her sleepy eyes and looking as if she'd never even left her bed.

She turned innocent pink orbs upon him and smiled softly, "Dr. Kaitou-san. Good afternoon. I know we missed my appointment but I needed to take a short walk around." She grinned sheepishly, "My legs were falling asleep."

He raised a suspicious brow, "Oh, really."

She nodded, the enthusiasm radiating a little too thick.

"Oh well, then. So all my worrying has just been a big misunderstanding?" He asked.

"Yep!" She answered. He had to give her credit for being a pretty decent actress.

"Looks like your story checks out…" He mumbled glancing over at his clipboard. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her brighten, "…Except, for a pretty detailed eyewitness report from a certain Dr. Minamino."

Her smile dropped. He did, what? That _jerk_ had actually told? Even when he had said--?!

"H-how can you be so sure that he's telling the truth?" she argued weakly, "What if he, uh, just has some strange personal vendetta against me?"

Kaitou gave her a look, "So tell me, what exactly did you do to cause the usually recluse Dr. Minamino to have such a vendetta against you?"

She sputtered with her reason, looking nervous.

"Or why there's a Coldstone cup in the trashcan?"

Her eyes shot to the nearby receptacle and sure enough there lay the crumpled paper cup she'd recently trashed. She looked anxiously up at her doctor and winced under his stern gaze.

"Shoot."

She conceded to a punishment but with a bitter promise of payback to a certain red-headed doctor.

xxxxxx

_Step one you say we need to talk  
He walks, you say sit down it's just a talk  
He smiles politely back at you  
You stare politely right on through_

xxxxxx

TBC 

xxxxxx


End file.
